Day 9: Visit the Oracle of Delphi in Greece - Thermopylae - Meteora Monasteries
Today is the day that we will visit the Oracle of Delphi, one of the places to see in Greece essential and how could it be otherwise, could not miss this trip to Greece 32 days.
Having the accommodation so close to the archaeological site, we can afford to go more quiet, although that does not take away from getting a good early morning, as we usually do on our trips and get up with a couple of extra hours to take advantage of work and relax on the terrace from our room, coffee in hand, enjoying incredible views.
The breakfast schedule at the Hotel Orfeas, our accommodation in Delphi tonight, starts at 7:30, so at that time we are on time in the lounge for after breakfast, load the bags in the rental car, which we have parked right next to it and travel the kilometer that separates us from visiting the Oracle of Delphi, the icing, without a doubt, of today's day.
Tips for visiting the Oracle of Delphi
- The first and most important thing we think you should know is that the archaeological site of Delphi and the Oracle of Delphi are not located in the same place, having to travel, through the road, about 500 meters, which is the distance that is between them, having to leave one to be able to access the other.
- Our recommendation is that you start the visit to the site next to the museum, that is, the largest one, which is perfectly indicated and that you can also identify by being right next to a white building that is the museum.
- According to our experience, the recommendation is that after the site, you visit the museum and finally, the Oracle of Delphi.
- If you come by car, you can leave the car in the parking lot, free of charge and that is right next to the museum. Since there are not many places, it is usual that by mid-morning you no longer have a place. In that case, you can leave it on the shoulder, always trying not to be in a curve or too badly parked
- The price of the entrance to Delphi is 12 euros per person, which includes the entrance to the Old Delphi, the museum and the Oracle of Delphi.
- The schedule is from 8 in the morning to 8 in the afternoon, but you have to take into account that the museum, on Mondays, opens at 10 in the morning. It is important to keep this in mind in order to square the visit with your route, according to the schedules.
- There is no place to buy water inside the enclosure, so it is worthwhile to stock up before. In the museum area there are bathrooms, several vending machines and also a cafeteria and small shop.
- The visit to the Old Delphi lasts approximately 4 hours (2.5 for the Sanctuary of Apollo, 1 hour for the Museum and 0.5h for the Sanctuary of Athena), including the museum and the Oracle of Delphi or Sanctuary of Athena . Most of the tour is done in full sun, as there are few shade sites, so as we commented in many archaeological sites in Greece, it is worth taking water, sunscreen and hat.
- If you want to visit the Oracle of Delphi and the Old Delphi with tranquility, despite being a large enclosure, it is advisable to access when they open at 8 in the morning, since you will have the opportunity to spend almost an hour with very few people, since organized groups usually arrive around 9 approximately.
- As we mentioned before, keep in mind that the Sanctuary to the Athena Goddess or the Oracle of Delphi, which is one of the most photographed images, is not inside the archaeological site itself, if it is not approximately 500 meters away. We make special mention of this, since after visiting and publishing the stories on Instagram, many people told us that because they did not know this information, they were left without visiting this place, leaving with the feeling that they had not been able to see the image anymore Delphi feature.
Visit the Oracle of Delphi in Greece
- Although you do not like museums, in this case, we have to recommend your visit, since we believe it is absolutely essential to understand what the archaeological site of Delphi means, in addition to seeing some of its most prominent pieces as parts of the frieze of the Treasure Sifnia, the Sphinx of Naxos or the Charioteer of Delphi.
- To go from the archaeological site to the Oracle of Delphi, having to walk on the road, you can do it by car and once there, park on one of the margins or in the small parking lot. We recommend you to walk the path, even if it is hot, since in this way you can also see several parts of the archaeological site, which can only be seen from this area and also, the feeling of the entrance is much more pleasant than not arriving by car .
- According to our experience and despite being one of the unmissable places in Greece for free, the area of the Oracle of Delphi does not usually receive many visitors, either due to ignorance or to go in an organized group, who do not usually get here or if They arrive make a very quick visit.
That is why if you agree with one of them and want to make the visit with tranquility or take a photo without anyone, you should not wait more than 5-10 minutes, since as we say, there are not usually many people, against the massification in Antigua Delfos, in the central hours of the day.
- Although you can visit the Oracle of Delphi for free without problems, if you do not want to rent a car, you are staying in Athens and want to know more about the place, a good option is to book this Excursion to Delphi, this 2-day excursion to Delphi and Meteora, the 4-day Classic Circuit or the 3-Day Classic Circuit, all with a guide in Spanish.
- Another option is to take one of the buses that depart from Terminal B (260, Liossion Street) in Athens, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and take 3 hours to make the journey. If you opt for this option, it is highly recommended to book tickets in advance both back and forth, to secure seats.
You can reach Terminal B with the 024 bus from Amalias Avenue, next to Sintagma Square.
Delphi
What to see in Ancient Delphi and the Oracle of Delphi
World Heritage, Antigua Delfos is one of the most incredible places in the country, as well as one of the best excursions you can do from Athens. Located in a unique place, on Mount Parnassus, it is only necessary to intuit the place from the road to be aware of the magnitude of the place and the reason why it is one of the most visited sites in Greece.
Apollo Shrine: Agora Romana, Via Sacra, Temple of Apollo
On the left, living from Delphi, is the Apollo Sanctuary, next to the museum, where you can visit the area of the largest archaeological site in Delphi. As you begin to climb, on the right hand side, the first thing you will find will be the Roman Agora, and then start stepping on the Via Sacra, the street that goes up the site until you reach the Temple of Apollo, symbol of the Ancient Delphi.
Via Sacra in Ancient Delphi
Apollo sanctuary in Antigua Delphi
Delphi Theater
Located to the right of the Vía Sacra, the Theater of Delphi is another of the most impressive places in Ancient Delphi. Although the views from any perspective are impressive, the best are from the high part from where you will also have an incredible perspective of the surroundings.
Delphi Theater
Views of the Delphi Theater and surroundings
Stadium
This is the last of the structures that are visited in Delphi and is considered the best preserved stadium in the country. From what we read, it is said that you can still see the tacos of the corridors in the stone, although this is something that we could not verify, since you can not access inside, being able to see only from the outside.
Delphi Stadium
Delphi Museum
Perfect complement to the visit to the Old Delphi, the museum is one of the places to which we advise you to dedicate even a few minutes, to be able to understand and get a much clearer idea of how it was and the meaning of this incredible place.
Although it has incredible pieces, the frieze of the Sifnia treasure chamber, the Sphinx of Naxos, gift of the island, the column of the dancers and the Charioteer of Delphi.
Sphinx of Naxos at the Delphi Museum
Frieze at the Delphi Museum
Athena Sanctuary: The Oracle of Delphi
As we mentioned earlier, the famous Oracle of Delphi is not found in the Sanctuary of Apollo, but in the Sanctuary of Athena, just under a kilometer from each other. In this area the most remarkable is the tholos, name that receive this type of circular constructions, in which it highlights its 20 columns, of which three are restored.
Although of course we recommend you access the stairs to the lower area, from where you can see the structures much closer, the best perspective is from the top, in one of the viewpoints, from where you can enjoy one of the most Famous of the Oracle of Delphi.
Visit the Oracle of Delphi in Greece
Oracle of Delphi
Delphi Route
We leave you the points to visit in the Old Delphi, which include the Sanctuary of Apollo, the museum and the Sanctuary of Athena or Oracle of Delphi.
It is 12 noon when we finish the visit to the Oracle of Delphi, returning to the car with a temperature that begins to be quite remarkable, making way to Thermopylae, which is the next stop today, 80 kilometers from Delphi and about an hour's walk.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish to get to know Delphi by travelers:
- Excursion to Delphi
- 2-day excursion to Delphi and Meteora
- Classic 4-day circuit
- Classic 3 day circuit
- Many more excursions and tours in / from Athens here
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish to get to know Delphi by travelers:We arrived at Thermopylae when it is 1:15 noon, parking directly in an area that is enabled for it and where is the monument that commemorates the battle that happened here in 480 BC and that led Leonidas and 300 Spartans to fight and make this place a battlefield, recreated in the movie 300 Directed by Zack Snyder.
Thermopylae
In addition, from this monument, on the opposite side of the highway and after climbing a small mound, you can also see a commemorative plaque, also from the battle. Although it is not a must, if you like history or you are a fan of the movie and you are on your way to Meteora, this is a perfect stop to also know the place, stretch your legs a little halfway.
Thermopylae
We are not here more than 20 minutes back to take the car and now we are already making our way to Kastraki, which will be the gateway for us to the Monasteries of Meteora, where we will spend the next three days and as far as we have 155 kilometers and a couple of hours of travel.
Although you can go by the general road from here to Kastraki, we decided to take the highway, to save about 30-45 minutes, paying 3 tolls, 0.60 euros, 2.95 euros and 1.95 euros, in addition also take advantage to fill the second gas tank of this trip, for 51 euros.
Seeing that we still have a couple of hours to reach our destination, halfway we stop at a roadside restaurant, where we see that there are several buses to charge energy with a Greek salad and a plate of meat with potatoes, more water for 18 euros, which although the truth is somewhat more expensive than what we are paying regularly, we find that it is perfect to be a local road and more counting that in Greece the restaurants in the service areas are not usual, something also to have in account.
We continue on our way to when it is 4:30 to reach Kalambaka, the town that is usually the gateway to the Meteora Monasteries and that gives us the first views of the mountains, dotted in the distance by a monastery, which we have to confess , it makes us excited and even without being able to see anything, knowing that this is going to be one of the places that will mark this impressive trip to Greece.
Kastraki views
Here we want to make a small paragraph and it is that considering that we will be in Meteora the next three days, comment that in the next post we will give you all the details for the visit to this amazing place, possible routes, routes, places to see the sunset, plus tips and recommendations based on our experience.
In our case we have decided to stay in Kastraki, a small town, located just next to Kalambaka, somewhat smaller, but today with many accommodation and catering options, which is much quieter than its neighbor and at the same time, it is located somewhat closer to the monasteries.
Although the real reason to opt for Kastraki, in addition to the tranquility, is to stay at the Hotel Doupiani House, our accommodation in Kastraki the next 3 nights, where after leaving the car in the private parking and checking in, we corroborate that our choice has been more than correct and we have really impressive views from the balcony, so just for this reason, this accommodation is more than recommended in the Meteora Monasteries.
Doupiani House Hotel
Although the idea was to go directly to start discovering the surroundings of Kastraki and have a first contact with the Meteora Monasteries, after seeing these views, we decided that it is best to take a couple of hours to study the map that we They have given in the hotel in the area, have a coffee enjoying these views and we will not deny it, answer all the messages you leave us, both in the blog and on social networks and for those who are so lucky.
After seeing the map and assessing the options we have with all the information they have given us, we decided that today we will see the sunset at one of the best known viewpoints of the Meteora Monasteries, which is none other than the rocky platform that Give the Moni Agias Varvaras Rousanou.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Greece
- 10 essential places to see in Greece
- The best tips for traveling to Greece
- The 10 best Greek Islands
And so, at 6:30 in the afternoon we take the car and travel the 4 kilometers that take us to that point and that show us, already at this time, what awaits us the next few days and is that in this section, already We can see 4 of the 6 Monasteries of Meteora that can be visited today and that we will know the next days, but those who can not resist taking a look, stopping the car and forcing us to follow the road to not miss the sunset .
And that is reached at this point, we can say without fear of being wrong, that only for these views and these feelings, it is worth the trip.
Access road to the Monasteries of Meteora
We leave the car in the small parking lot of the viewpoint of the Rousanou Monastery, from where we enjoy one of the most incredible sunsets we have ever seen, which serve as a gateway to this incredible place that we are safe, we will never forget.
Sunset at the Meteora Monasteries
Panoramic Meteora Monasteries
Although as we discussed earlier in the next post of the practical guide, dedicated entirely to the Monasteries of Meteora we will give more details, according to our experience and experiences, we recommend that you come at least a full day to enjoy the sunset in one of these areas, since that we are sure, it will surprise you and that decidedly, it will become one of the best moments of your trip.
Unforgettable sunset in the Meteora Monasteries
Sunset viewpoint in Meteora Monasteries
We leave the location of the viewpoint to the Monastery Rousanou Monastery, for us the best place to enjoy a sunset in Meteora.
After this incredible sunset, we return to the car, undoing the road made and returning to Kastraki, not without making a couple of stops to enjoy unique views also of the sunset over the Moni Nikolaou Anapafsa, the closest to our hotel, for later approach the Taverna Gardenia, one of the most recommended of Kastraki, where we live a unique dinner, enlivened with music and improvised dances of a group of Greeks, while tasting five starters plus water for 20 euros, which are the perfect end of the day.
Sunset at the Meteora Monasteries
Already after a lively dinner with charged energies, we return to the Hotel Doupiani House, where we open the balcony windows to not miss a second of the sublime views that we have, even when we close our eyes and start dreaming of the tomorrow's day ...
Route of the day including the visit Oracle of Delphi in Greece
Today's route will take us to visit the Oracle of Delphi in Greece, and then go to Thermopylae, a stop that we make our way to the Meteora Monasteries, one of the most incredible places in the world, where we stay in Kastraki.
Day 10: Visit the Meteora Monasteries in Greece
